Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.
The essentials
- A client inventory for insurance, kept before a claim, is the best basis for taking out cover, adjusting guarantees and handling a file.
- Your clients store photos, invoices, valuations and estimates with each item, and track their policies’ renewal dates.
- You access it free of charge in read-only mode, or receive a PDF or Excel insurance report.
In valuables insurance, everything rests on a list: what the policyholder owns, how each piece is identified, what it is worth. This list often arrives too late, at the time of the claim, reconstructed from memory. This page is addressed to insurers, brokers and agents specialising in works of art, jewellery, watches, wines and collections: what your clients can keep up to date, and what they can give you.
Client inventory for insurance: the “last minute” problem
At inception, the policyholder declares an overall value or a short list. The years pass: purchases, inheritances, sales, changing market prices. On the day of the theft, they have to describe precisely jewellery with no invoice, a watch whose papers can no longer be found, a work whose valuation is ten years old. The reporting deadline, set by the policy, cannot be shorter than 5 working days, or 2 working days in the case of theft (article L113-2, 4° of the Insurance Code): that is short for rebuilding a file.
An inventory kept by the policyholder, updated as acquisitions are made, changes the situation at every stage:
- At inception: a detailed list that makes it possible to adjust the sums insured and designate the items precisely.
- During the policy: successive dated valuations, useful for reviewing an agreed value or a sum insured that has become insufficient.
- After the claim: photos, numbers, hallmarks, invoices and valuations available immediately, even if the home has been damaged.
Our guide agreed value or declared value explains these concepts for your clients, and the one on jewellery theft without an invoice shows what is most often missing.
What Collectalia brings to your clients
- One entry per object, with the fields specific to the field: metal, hallmark, stones, carats, GIA or HRD gemmological certificate for a piece of jewellery; make, reference, calibre, box and papers, services for a watch; vintage, number of bottles, cellar entries and exits for wine.
- High-resolution photos and documents on each entry; photos can be taken from the phone by scanning a QR code.
- Successive valuations and values, with their date and source.
- Insurance policies and renewal dates, with an automatic reminder before the renewal date or the cancellation deadline: the right moment to review things with you.
- Location and movements: main home, second home, safe, storage unit, loan to an exhibition, item being serviced.
Theft prevention: a file that also helps recover the item
For theft prevention, the inventory is not only a matter of compensation. Sharp photos, a serial number, a signature, a hallmark or a distinctive flaw make it possible to report the item precisely and to recognise it if it resurfaces. It is a simple argument to put to a client who hesitates to “lose half a day” photographing their possessions.
How to work together
- The client keeps the inventory in their own space, from scratch or by importing their Excel file.
- They invite you with read-only access. This access is free and unlimited. You view entries, photos, documents and policies; they can choose whether or not to show you the values.
- Or they send you a selection: a private showroom (password-protected link, expiry date, tracked views) for the items to be covered, or an insurance report in PDF or Excel.
A firm that wishes to keep inventories itself on behalf of its clients can open a space with the Pro plan: see the pricing.
Confidentiality and security
An inventory of valuables is sensitive information. Data is hosted in France and backed up daily; two-factor authentication can be required; the log of changes and access keeps a record of every view and every change. The client remains in control of their space and can withdraw access at any time.
With Collectalia
Your policyholders keep a photographed and documented inventory of their valuables, with their policies and renewal dates. You access it in read-only mode, free of charge, or receive the insurance report you need. Less reconstruction after the claim, more advice beforehand.
Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.